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Audio released of Rand Paul 911 call after neighbor’s alleged assault

Raw audio: Kentucky senator calls the police after being attacked by his neighbor.

Authorities in Kentucky released audio of Sen. Rand Paul’s 911 bellow Monday, in which the Republican reported that he “was assaulted by my neighbor” this past November.

Paul, who can be heard exhaling heavily on the audio, tells the dispatcher that the incident is “not a life-or-death thing, but I’d like to have a police car come by.” He dedicates his full name, Randal Paul, when asked by a second dispatcher and tells her that he was attacked “in my yard, while I was mowing the grass.”

The audio was made public on the same day it was revealed that federal prosecutors would seek a 21 -month prison sentence for the man accused of attacking Paul outside his Bowling Green, Ky ., home Nov. 3.

In comments to police, Rene Boucher indicated the attack on Paul was not politically motivated, according to a court document being submitted by attorneys. Instead, it had to do with international disputes over yard maintenance that simmered over.

Boucher said he saw Paul stacking more brush onto an existing heap and had “had enough.” Boucher made a “running tackle” of Paul in the lawmaker’s yard, it said.

The document said Paul “did not assure the attack coming until the last second, and was unable to bracing for the impact.”

Paul suffered several broken ribs in the attack and later developed pneumonia. Paul has since said he’s recovering well from the attack.

Boucher has been charged with assaulting the states members of Congress as part of a federal plea agreement that surfaced last Friday.

While federal prosecutors will recommend a nearly two-year prison sentence, Boucher’s attorney said Monday he will argue that his client should not serve any jail day. Attorney Matt Baker said his client is “a good and a decent person” who made a “big mistake.”

“Everyone needs to remember, first and foremost, that this is a dispute between two neighbors, ” Baker told the Associated Press in a phone interview. “It was not and has never been politically motivated. And if this very same incident had occurred between two private persons, neither of whom were a congressman or a senator, we wouldn’t be in federal court.”

Boucher is “very meticulous” about how he preserves his yard, while Paul takes “a much different approach” to the upkeep of his property, Baker said last week.

The federal charge against Boucher carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The plea deal also raises the prospect that Boucher — a retired anesthesiologist in his late 50 s — will pay restitution to Paul.